Does the EU AI act align with responsible AI? An evaluation of the European Union’s artificial intelligence act in a responsible research and innovation framework

The significant disruptive potential of artificial intelligence (AI) demands a more comprehensive approach to regulation, especially those grounded in ethical principles that consider unique AI characteristics and issues. The European Union’s 2024 AI Act is one of the first comprehensive regulations on AI, and promotes safe, trustworthy and responsible development and use of AI. The Act’s consideration of societal implications of AI reflects a core value of the Responsible Research and Innovation (RRI) literature. RRI proposes that to effectively regulate technology, its potential impacts must be considered while still in development. While the Act does not explicitly refer to RRI, it includes various principles that demonstrate RRI ideals. In this paper, we examine if and how the text of the EU AI Act facilitates RRI, and areas of the EU AI Act that could benefit from additional RRI emphasis. We conclude with considerations of how RRI might be strengthened.